A hill in a desert state
The only one: no other town in Rajasthan sits on a high, cool plateau with the climate of a hill station.
Rising sharply: the plateau climbs steeply from the plains of Sirohi, so the change in air is sudden and welcome.
- Plateau
- About 22 km long, 9 km wide
- Town altitude
- About 1,220 m
- Highest point
- Guru Shikhar, 1,722 m
- Rainfall
- The highest in Rajasthan
- Residents
- Around 23,000
- Strange granite: weathered into balanced boulders, smooth domes and caves, with names like Toad Rock that the boatmen will point out.
- Forest on the slopes: wooded hills that feel entirely unlike the rest of Rajasthan, protected as a wildlife sanctuary.
- Several degrees cooler: than the plains in summer, and cold enough in winter for nights close to freezing.
- A border town: on the edge of Gujarat, which shapes its food, its visitors and its language.
Mount Abu or Abu Raj?
The announcement: the Chief Minister announced the new name in the Rajasthan Assembly on 27 February 2026.
On the ground: signs, timetables and records are still catching up, so you will see both names for a while.
- What locals say: most people, our drivers included, simply say Abu, as they always have.
- For travellers: either name will get you up the hill. Station boards may still read Abu Road, the town at the foot of the mountain.
- On this site: we use Mount Abu for now, because it is the name most travellers search for, and mention Abu Raj alongside.
A holy mountain long before a holiday town
Arbuda: the Mahabharata speaks of the Arbuda mountains, and the Puranas call the forest around them Arbudaranya.
Vasishtha: the best-known legend says the sage kept his hermitage here, and lit a great fire from which the Agnivanshi, fire-born, Rajput clans arose.
- The Paramaras: they held the mountain first, ruling from Chandravati in the plains, and their ministers and merchants paid for great Jain temples.
- The Deoras: in 1311 the Deora Chauhans under Rao Lumba took Abu. Their capital later moved to Sirohi, and Abu stayed part of Sirohi state.
- The temples: the marble Dilwara temples, built between the eleventh and sixteenth centuries, are the mountain's greatest treasure.
- Still a pilgrim hill: Guru Shikhar, Achaleshwar Mahadev and Adhar Devi are in daily worship, and the Brahma Kumaris have their world headquarters here.
The summer migration of officials and maharajas
The British lease: in the nineteenth century the British leased the plateau from the Maharao of Sirohi.
Summer headquarters: it became the hot-weather base of the officials who managed relations with the Rajputana states.
- The lease
- From the Maharao of Sirohi, nineteenth century
- Its role
- Summer headquarters for the Rajputana states
- Municipality
- 1864
- Who followed
- Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and other states
- A colonial town grew: a municipality in 1864, then churches, a club, schools and bungalows around the lake.
- The princes followed: if the officials were on the hill, so was business. Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and other states built summer palaces and lodges.
- A season of its own: in the hot months the hill filled with maharajas, officials and their households, with all the calls, dinners and gossip that implied.
- After independence: the officials left, the princely houses quietened, and Abu became a holiday town for families from Gujarat and Rajasthan.
- What remains: the colonial quarter of churches and bungalows, and several princely houses that are now hotels.
The princely summer houses, now hotels
Palace Hotel, Bikaner House
History: built as the summer residence of the Maharajas of Bikaner.
- Setting: a stone house in wooded grounds near the Dilwara road.
- Character: old-fashioned rooms, lawns and the feel of a gentleman's country house.
Jaipur House
History: the former summer palace of the Jaipur royal family.
- Setting: on a hill above Nakki Lake, with one of the best views in town from its terraces.
- Its small perfect pleasure: sunset over the lake from the terrace.
Connaught House
History: once a retreat connected with the Jodhpur state.
- Character: a smaller colonial bungalow with flower-filled gardens and an old-world calm.
- Who it suits: couples and readers.
Choosing between them
- Scale: none has the grandeur of a city palace. Their charm is gardens, verandas and quiet.
- Rooms vary: a great deal within each house, so we choose carefully for every guest.
The walks that make it a hill station
Round Nakki Lake at dawn
The legend: nakh means fingernail, and the boatmen tell how the gods scooped out the lake with their nails.
- The hour: at six in the morning, with mist on the water and nobody about, it is a different lake from the busy afternoon one.
- The circuit: an easy walk round the shore, the best introduction to the town.
Up to Toad Rock
- What it is: a granite boulder above the lake's southern side, shaped uncannily like a toad about to jump in.
- The path: short and steep, on worn steps. Wear shoes with grip.
Sunset Point and Honeymoon Point
The view: west over the plains as the sun goes down.
- The crowd: families, ponies and snack sellers at dusk. Cheerful, but not quiet.
- Our alternative: tea and blankets at a quieter spot on the ridge.
Trevor's Tank
- What it is: a small reservoir in the woods just outside town.
- Why go: birds, quiet and, with luck, a sambar coming down to drink as the light goes.
Temples, forts and the roof of Rajasthan
Dilwara: five Jain temples of white marble, plain outside and lace within. Photography is not allowed inside. Read our Dilwara temples guide.
Guru Shikhar: at 1,722 metres the highest point of the Aravallis and of Rajasthan, with a small temple to the sage Dattatreya and a great bell.
- Achalgarh: a hill fort first raised by the Paramaras and rebuilt in the fifteenth century by Rana Kumbha of Mewar, about 10 km from town.
- Achaleshwar Mahadev: where devotees worship a mark said to be Shiva's toe, pressed into the rock to hold the mountain still.
- Adhar Devi: a temple in a cleft high on a hillside, reached by a long flight of steps.
- Gaumukh: a long stairway through forest to water flowing from a carved cow's mouth, linked with Vasishtha.
- Go early: Guru Shikhar before the haze, Dilwara when it opens to visitors, and the busy sights on weekdays.
The forest around the town
The whole mountain is protected: the sanctuary wraps around the town from the foothills to Guru Shikhar.
Forest in layers: dry thorn woods low down, greener forest near the top, bamboo in the valleys and wildflowers after the rains.
- Sanctuary declared
- 1960
- Area
- About 290 sq km
- Signature animal
- Sloth bear
- Birds
- More than 150 species recorded
- Prize bird
- The green avadavat
- Sloth bears: they forage on the edges of town at night. Shy, but dangerous if surprised.
- Also here: leopards, sambar, wild boar, jungle cats, langurs and the occasional striped hyena.
- The green avadavat: a small, threatened bird with a bright green back and yellow underparts, and the prize for birders.
- How we go: early walks and drives with naturalists, on routes the forest department permits. Our ethical animal encounters page explains our rules.
The hill station by season
April to June, the classic season
Why people come: cooler than the plains, and the reason the hill station exists.
- What to expect: very crowded, especially at weekends and in school holidays.
- Our advice: come midweek, stay in a house with its own grounds, and see the sights early.
July to September, the monsoon
- What happens: the heaviest rain in Rajasthan, running waterfalls and hills wrapped in cloud.
- The catch: views can vanish for days, and paths are slippery. Lovely for a few nights of rain and reading.
October and November, our favourite
- Why: green, clear and calm after the rains, with comfortable days and cool nights.
- Watch for: the Diwali holidays, when the town fills. See Rajasthan in November.
December to February, the cold months
- What to expect: bright, crisp days and nights that can drop close to freezing.
- The festival: the Mount Abu Winter Festival in the last days of December, with folk music, a fair on the lake and fireworks.
March, the quiet spring
- What to expect: warm, pleasant days before the summer crowds arrive.
- Why come: a good month for walking and for Dilwara without the queues.
Eating on the hill
Thali country: many vegetarian thali restaurants serve Gujarati and Rajasthani meals side by side, with refills until you beg them to stop.
By the lake at night: roasted corn with lime and chilli, hot pakoras and endless cups of masala tea.
- In the princely houses: family recipes from their owners' royal kitchens, from slow-cooked dals to Rajput meat dishes.
- Jain food: easy here, because the town is used to pilgrims. Ask for no onion and garlic.
- A private dinner: we often arrange one on a terrace or lawn, with a fire against the winter cold.
- The dishes explained: our Rajasthani food guide.
Getting up the hill
By train: Abu Road station lies at the foot of the mountain on the main line between Ahmedabad and Jaipur and Delhi.
By air: Udaipur's airport is the nearest with good connections.
- Nearest station
- Abu Road, about 28 km
- Ghat road up
- Around 45 minutes
- From Udaipur
- About 3.5 to 4 hours
- From Ahmedabad
- About 4 to 5 hours
- To Jawai
- About 2.5 hours
- From Udaipur: about three and a half to four hours. See our Udaipur guide.
- The ghat road: narrow and full of bends. A long lunch before you drive down is always a good idea.
- On the plateau: distances are short but roads are busy at weekends. Your driver drops you at each sight and waits.
How Abu fits into a journey
The southern loop: Udaipur, then Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh, leopards at Jawai, and Abu to finish.
Into Gujarat: Abu is the hinge of our Mount Abu and Gujarat journey, onward to Ahmedabad and Kutch.
- For Jain art: pair Dilwara with the marble halls of Ranakpur, as our temples page describes.
- In the hot months: a cool pause after tiger safaris in April or May, before Udaipur's lakes.
- The details: our things to do in Mount Abu and Mount Abu itinerary.
A perfect day on the hill
Morning, lake and rock
First light: walk round Nakki Lake while the boatmen are still mopping their seats.
- Before breakfast: climb to Toad Rock for the view back over the water.
- Breakfast: on your hotel terrace, with hot parathas and the mist burning off the hills.
Late morning, the marble
- Dilwara: when the temples open to visitors, with a good guide and at least an hour and a half.
- Leave behind: phone, leather belt and bag in the car.
Afternoon, rest and forest
- After lunch: a proper hill-station rest, in a garden chair or a quilt.
- Late afternoon: a naturalist's walk or drive in the sanctuary, ending at Trevor's Tank.
Evening, the ridge
- Sunset: from a quiet point on the ridge with tea and blankets, or from the terrace of Jaipur House.
- Dinner: by a fire on the lawn, then early to bed, because tomorrow is Guru Shikhar at dawn.
What most visitors miss
The colonial quarter: the churches and old bungalows above the lake, quiet in the morning and full of the hill station's history.
Achalgarh's Nandi: the large five-metal figure of Shiva's bull in front of Achaleshwar Mahadev.
- The stone buffaloes: three of them beside the temple tank at Achalgarh, with an archer and a legend about demons who drank the sacred ghee.
- The Mahavir temple paintings: porch paintings added in 1764 by artists from Sirohi, in the smallest of the Dilwara temples.
- Weekday Abu: a November Tuesday and a May Saturday are two different towns.
- Birdsong at dawn: the hotel gardens are often as good for birds as the forest, especially after the monsoon.
Before you go
Pack warm: evenings on the hill are cool even in summer, and cold from December to February.
Shoes with grip: Guru Shikhar, Toad Rock and Adhar Devi all have worn, smooth steps.
- Pack
- A warm layer in any season
- Winter
- A proper jacket, December to February
- Shoes
- Good grip for worn granite steps
- At Dilwara
- No photography, no leather
- Respect the shrines: dress modestly, remove shoes where asked, and remember the temples are in daily worship.
- Wildlife sense: never feed the monkeys or the bears.
- Avoid the rush: skip long weekends and the Diwali holidays, and visit the busy sights on weekdays.
- Plan the season: our best time to visit Rajasthan guide shows how Abu fits the year.
Who will love Mount Abu, and who won't
Lovers of sculpture: nothing in India quite prepares you for the ceilings of Dilwara.
Walkers and birders: forest, granite and the green avadavat.
- Hot-season travellers: two cool nights in the middle of a long journey.
- Families: boats, ponies and space to run about.
- Couples: the old houses, the gardens and the sunsets from a terrace.
- Who may be disappointed: anyone arriving on a holiday weekend expecting Himalayan calm. The shore is crowded and the viewpoints are a sea of selfie sticks.
- The fix: come midweek in the quiet months, stay in a princely house, and see the sights at the edges of the day.